Traditional methods for cleaning institutional spaces, generally, and a patient's area in a medical facility, specifically, include dry mopping and dusting. Such methods can disperse dust particulates throughout the patient's environment, decreasing air quality. The dust particulates also resettle and contaminate surfaces thought to be clean. Airborne dust could also be breathed by the patient, leading to infections and lowering health quality. Traditional cleaning methods have also included mopping floors using a bucket that is moved from room to room without changing or refreshing the cleaning solution. This approach can lead to cross contamination of bacteria from one room to the next.
Portable mobile carts are available for use in cleaning hospital environments. In some cases, these portable carts may include a shelf for a portable vacuum cleaner. These portable vacuum cleaners take up valuable space otherwise useful for carrying other cleaning supplies.
There is a need for vacuum cleaning systems which can be mounted or contained with mobile cleaning carts and provide a much smaller spatial footprint, while maintaining the high efficiency cleaning and acoustical performance needed for use in institutional, including hospital, environments.